Packaging apparatus



Oct. 28, 1969 L, CANNON ETAL 3,474,594

: PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS:

LESTER ANNON JOHN M. DA LL HOWARD N. TAYLOR ATT'Y S Oct. 28, 1969 L. E. CANNON ET AL 3,474,594

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 25c INVENTORS:

LESTER E, CANNON JOHN M. TINDALL HOWARD N. TAYLQR Oct. 28, 1969 1.. E. CANNON ETAL 3,474,594

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lira INVENTORS: LESTER E. CANNON JOHN M. TINDALL HOWARD N. TAYLOR a i s I wag Oct. 28, 1969 CANNON ETAL 3,474,594

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 22, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' INVENTORS;

LESTER E. CANNON JOHN M. TINDALL HOWARD N. TAYLOR US. Cl. 53-186 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for packaging food products and the like. Cartons to be packed are moved individually and intermittently along a carton-supporting rail to a loading position where they are stopped. A lifting finger adjacent an open end of the carton then rotates upwardly to lift the carton top while a hold down finger rotates downwardly to secure the carton bottom. A product stop slides into the other open end of the carton, and dust flap closers fold the trailing dust flaps into the carton. The carton contents may then be inserted into the widely opened end, after which the fingers and product stop are removed, and the carton is permitted to resume movement over the rail to a sealing assembly.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to a packaging aparatus, and more particularly, to a packaging apparatus for packaging food products such as bacon and the like.

In the past, packaging machines have generally loaded cartons while they are moving, thereby creating several problems. Advantageously, the end of the carton through which the product is inserted, is mechanically opened wider than normal so that the product may be readily inserted. However, carton opening means which travel with the carton must of necessity be rather complicated. Further, placement of the product in the carton must be more precise if the carton is moving. If the product is inserted too far, it will force the dust flaps at the other end of the package outwardly and cause closure and sealing problems. On the other hand the products must be inserted far enough so that the carton flaps at the loading end may be closed. These precise loading requarements have generally necessitated machine loading, thereby foregoing the advantages of hand loading which enables careful visual inspection of the product, easy loading of irregularly sized products, and the like. Further, adjusting these relatively complicated machines to accommodate a different sized product is generally a relatively time-consuming operation.

SUMMARY The inventive packaging apparatus brings each carton to a positive stop before the product is loaded, thereby allowing the product to be loaded either by hand or by machine. The loading end of the carton is opened wide by a unique bowing action which facilitates insertion of the product, and a product stop prevents the product, which may be higher than the normal internal height of the carton, from being inserted too far into the carton. Further, the loading apparatus is pneumatically powered, thus eliminating electrical problems which might otherwise arise in the moist environment of a meat processing and packaging plant.

THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view taken from one side of the packaging apparatus;

United States Patent 3,474,594- Patented Oct. 28, 1969 "ice FIGURE 2 is a perspective view taken from the other side of the packaging apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a carton ready to be loaded;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but taken from another vantage point;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view illustrating an unloaded carton in solid and a loaded carton in phantom;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a flattened carton being moved individually into the loading position;

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the action of the carton cocker on a carton that has been brought to rest in the loading position;

FIGURE 10 illustrates a loaded carton being moved out of the loading position.

DESCRIPTION It is believed that the invention will be more readily understood if a general description is first given.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the loading apparatus includes a frame 10 on which is mounted a hopper assembly 11 in which the cartons to be loaded are stacked in a flattened condition. As can be seen in FIGURES 6- 9, a carton 12 is delivered individually from the hopper assembly 11 and moved until it reaches a stop assembly 13. A cocking member 33 then forces the flattened carton to assume a generally rectangular cross section. After the carton is stopped and erected, opening assembly 14 (FIGURE 4), which includes lifting finger 15 and hold-down fingers 16 and 17, forces the loading end 1211 of the carton to assume a wide-open, bowed configuration. Product stop 18 (FIGURES 3 and 5) slides into the other open end 12b of the carton and forces a second lifting finger 19 to rotate upwardly, causing the carton end 12b to assume a bowed configuration, and dust flap closer assemblies 20 and 21 then fold the trailing dust flaps of the carton inwardly. The carton is now ready for loading, following retraction of dust flap closer 21 at the loading side of the carton, and the product may readily be inserted into the widely opened loading end 12a of the carton. Thereafter, the opening assembly 14, product stop 18, dust flap closer assembly 20, and carton cocking members 33, return to their original positions as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The stop assembly 13 then permits the carton to be moved out of the loading position, as illustrated in FIGURE 10, after which the carton ends 12a and 12b are closed and sealed in the conventional manner.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the hopper assembly 11, which is mounted on the rear of the elongated frame 10, is seen to include side posts 22 and front wall 23 which extend upwardly from frame 10 and position a stack of flattened cartons which are to be loaded. Hopper wall 23 includes vertical posts 23a, 23b and 230 and horizontal posts 23d and 23s, which are bolted together or otherwise suitably joined, and a bottom horizontal rail 24. An elongated carton-supporting subframe 25 extends generally horizontally from the hopper assembly forwardly in the direction of the stop assembly 13. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the carton-supporting subframe comprises spaced-apart rectangular beams 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d, but it is to be understood that the carton-supporting subframe or track may take the form of an endless conveyor, rollers, or the like. The particular subframe or track illustrated also includes a top panel 25e supported by the beams 25b and 250 which extends longtitudinally for part of the length of the subframe.

A picker knife 26 is supported between the beams 25b and 250 and is slidable longitudinally by means of pull rod 27 attached to block 28. A pneumatic piston and cylinder (not shown) is provided to reciprocate the block "ding longitudinal reciprocal movement picker knife 26 is provided with an upstanding tooth 26a which engages the trailing edge 120 of an individual carton 12 as the knife is pulled forwardly by pull rod 27.

A doctor blade 29 is attached to hopper rail 24 and is spaced from the carton-supporting frame 25 to provide clearance for only a single carton 12. A pair of hld-back ddg's'fall'are slidab'ly mounted on the doctor knife 29 and are provided with inclined bottom edges so that forward mivernerit' 'ofth'e-carton 12 forces the dogs upwardly, permitting the'carton 12" to pass beneath the doctor blade 29". i v

The carton 12 is pushed along the carton-supporting fiame, which defines the path of carton advance, by picker knife 26 until the leading edge 12d approaches the stop assembly 13. At that time the piston associated with the picker knife reaches the end of its stroke, and the picker knife 26 returns to the hopper assembly in position to engage another carton. After forward movement of the picker knife 26 stops, the hold-back dogs 30 drop down to prevent the carton from moving rearwardly with the picker knife. The momentum of the carton 12 carries the the carton into stop dogs 31 (FIGURE 7) which stop the carton. Each stop dog 31 is pivotally mounted as at 32 to one of the beams 25b and 25c so that a major portion of the stop dog extends downwardly from the pivot point to act as a counterweight. The force imposed on the stop dogs 31 by the forwardly moving carton 12 is not sufiicient to rotate the connterweights upwardly and the carton is therefore brought to rest.

.. Thereafter, carton cockers 33, which are also rotatably mounted on beams 25b and 250, are rotated upwardly in .the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 7 to engage the leading edge 12d of the carton. Each carton cocker is attached to a pinion gear 34 which engages a rack 35 slidably mounted on one of the beams 25b and 250. A pneumatic-cylinder and piston 36 (FIGURE 8) is also mounted on the frame to move rack 35 forwardly and rotate the carton cocker to engage the carton. As the carton cocker rotates, the trailing edge 120 of the carton is pushed back against the hold-back dogs 30, which had dropped downwardly after the carton passed. Further rotation of the carton cocker causes the flattened carton to set up or assume a generally rectangular longitudinal cross section as in FIGURE 9.

As soon as the carton is set up, the carton opening assembly 14, product stop 18, and members 16, 17, 20 and 21, are activated to prepare the carton for loading. As can be seen best in FIGURES 3 5, the carton 12 includes a top panel 12c which may be provided with an opening or window, a bottom panel 12f,,and side panels 12g and 12h. The rectangular top and bottom panels are joined by the rectangular side panels, thereby providing the carton with apair of opposed open ends 12a and 12b. Carton top 12a is provided with. lines of weakness to define end flaps 12i and12j, bottom panel 12 is provided with lines of weakness-todefine bottom flaps 12k and 12], side panel 12g is provided with lines of weaknessto define side dust flaps 12m. and'-12n,. and side panel 12h is provided with lines of weaknesstodefinedust flaps 120 and 12p. As can be seen in-,FIGURES"4 -.and-5, bottom end flap 121 is provide with-a centrally-disposed rectangular notch 12: and bottom -end:flap. 12k,is provided with a similar notch 121-. The carton-informed frompaper board material or from some other fiexiblesheet material. :-,-f17he=carton.opening.assembly 14 will now be described. Referring-to FIGURES 4 and 5, lifting finger 15 is attached torod 37- which is journaled in posts 38 and 39 seemed. to frame-10. Air cylinder 40 is als'o mounted on the frame and activates a piston 41 which is operatively connected-to rod 37 by bifurcated connection 42 and crankaarm 43. Similarly, hold-down fingers 16 and 17 are secured to rod 44. which-is journaled in the frame. Air wi der-45 onthei frame p t pi ton 46 wh h s c feitifAis' cease seen in FIGURE 6, the

nected to rod 44 by connector 47 and crank arm 48. liifting fingi 15 and hold down fingers '16 and 17 are shown in the nonloading positions in FIGURES 1, 2, and in solid in FIGURE 5, and the hold-down fingers are seen to extend upwardly through notches 49 and 50 (FIGURE 4) provided in loading platform 51 secured to the frame. The product that is to be loaded is fed onto the platform 51 by means of a conveyor or the like and the upwardly extending hold-down fingers 16 and 17 and the downwardly extending lifting finger 15 prevent the product from moving toward the carton until the carton is ready for loading.

After the carton cockers 33 set up the carton, the air cylinder 40 is activated to rotate the lifting finger 15 into engagement with the carton top 12s while the air cylinder 45 is activated to rotate the hold-down fingers 16 and 17 into engagement with the carton bottom 12f. As can be seen in FIGURE 5, the rectangular notch 12: centrally provided in the end flap 12! permits the lifting finger to engage the carton top even if the carton is not properly set up by the carton cocker. The lifting finger 15 rotates upwardly through the rectangular notch to engage the carton top and raise it to the position shown in phantom and indicated 12e'. The carton cocker and back stop 30 ensure that the notch is closely positioned with respect to the finger 15, and the rectangular configuration of the notch, with a dimension extending in the direction of carton travel, ensures that the finger 15 may pass upwardly through the notch even if a slight variation in position of the carton along the subframe exists. The loading end 12a of the carton is shown in the fully opened position in FIGURE 4, and the carton top is seen to be bowed upwardly against arcuately shaped restraining rail 52, which prevents excessive upward movement of the lifting finger. We have found that fingers 15-17 are preferably arcuately shaped as illustrated to facilitate rotation into contact with the carton. Each of the fingers may also be provided with a short straight end portion as at 15a and 17a in FIGURE 5 to provide a larger bearing surface.

At the same time, as the opening assembly 14 is activated, product stop 18 is pushed transversely by air cylinder and piston 53 into the open end 1212 of the carton. The product stop 18 is slidably supported by platform 54, which is secured to the frame, and cylinder 53 mayalso be supported by the platform. Advantageously, a bearing sheet 55 of Teflon or other suitable material may be interposed between the product stop 18 and platform 54 to facilitate relative sliding movement. A second lifting finger 19 is rotatably mounted by arm 56 above product stop 18. As can best be seen in FIGURE 5, the product stop 18 is provided with a curved upper surface 18a. As the product stop is urged toward its loading position indicated in phantom at 18' in FIGURE 5, the lifting finger 19 is forced to rotate upwardly by the upper surface of the product stop. As the lifting finger rotates, it engages the carton top 12s and lifts it toward restraining rail 57 as at 12s". The rectangular notch 121' provided in end flap 12k permits the lifting finger 19 to engage the carton top even if the carton is not properly set up by the carton cocker. If desired, the upper surface 18a of the product stop may be provided with a groove to receive the lifting finger 19 so that the finger does not project above the upper surface.

At the same time the loading end 12a of the carton is being opened and the product stop is being positioned Within the carton, the dust flap closing assemblies 20 and 21 are activated to fold the trailing dustflaps and 12p into the carton. Referring to FIGURE 2, dust flap closing assembly 20 includes an air cylinder and piston assembly 58 mounted on the frame and a rack and pinion gear 59 and 60, respectively. Similarly, closing assembly 21 includes air cylinder and piston assembly 61 mounted on doctor blade 29 and rack and pinion gear 62 and 63,

respectively. Referring to FIGURE 4, pinion gear 63 is attached to one end of shaft 64 which is rotably received within a bushing 65 attached to front rail 24 of the hopper assembly 11. Finger 66 is attached to the other end of shaft 64 and is rotatable to force dust flap 12p into the carton by linear movement of the rack 62. Dust flap closing assembly 20 is similarly constructed to force dust flap 120 into the carton. While closing assembly 20 remains in its extended position within the carton until after the carton is loaded, retracting along with the product stop, the dust flap closing assembly 21 returns immediately to its original retracted position prior to loading of the carton.

The carton is now in the loading condition, and the product may be slid along platform 51 into the loading end 12a of the carton and pushed against product stop 18. When the hold-down fingers are in their loading positions, e.g., 17 in FIGURE 5, they protrude only slightly above platform 51, and the product easily slides over the top of the curved fingers. The product may be loaded either manually or automatically, and because the carton is loaded while stationary, no complicated loading machinery is required. Further, manual loading of the product permits visual inspection of the product before it is loaded and enables irregularly sized products to be loaded without difiiculty.

No special placement of the product within the carton is necessary. The product, indicated in phantom at 67 in FIGURE 5, is merely pushed into the carton until it contacts the product stop. There is therefore no danger that the product may be inserted too far into the carton and push the dust fl'ap 120 out of the carton.

As can be seen in FIGURE 5, the carton top 12a is lifted higher at the loading end, as at 12e', than at the opposite end, as at 12s. The widely loading end facilities loading, while the other end need be opened only so far as to ensure that the upper surface of the product is not smudged or disarranged as the product is positioned.

After the carton has been loaded, the operator depresses hand-actuated lever 68 (FIGURE 1), which is operatively associated with air cylinders 36, 40, 45 and 53 and is programmed to cycle the entire machine. When the actuator 68 is depressed, air pressure is withdrawn from these cylinders to allow the spring-urged pistons to return to their unactivated positions, thereby returning carton cockers 37, lifting finger 15, hold-down fingers 16 and 17, and product stop 18, respectively, to their original, nonloading positions. Thereafter, the picker knife 26 is again moved forwardly to withdraw a second carton from the hopper assembly. Pusher dogs 75 which reciprocate with the picker knife and shift the series of loaded cartons forwardly, such dogs being automatically cammed by engagement with the carton into retracted positions as the dogs and picker knife later shift rearwardly. As illustrated in FIGURE 10, the picker knife urges the second carton 12' against the first carton 12, although, if desired, a stop dog identical to dogs 75 may be interposed between the carton cockers 33 and the stop 30 to advance carton 12 without contact by carton 12. The picker knife 26 provides a sufficient force to swing the counterweight portion of stop dog 31 upwardly, thereby permitting the carton 12 to proceed forwardly beyond the stop assembly. As the carton 12 proceeds forwardly, plows 69 and 70 (FIGURE 3) fold the leading dust flaps 12m and 1211 into the carton. As the carton is moved forwardly by pusher dogs 75, the end flaps 12i12l are closed in the conventional manner and suitably sealed as by heat sealing.

It is to be understood that a suitable timing and valve mechanism is provided that operates the various air cylinders sequentially to perform the heretofore described operations. When the actuator 68 is depressed to start a new cycle, air pressure is withdrawn substantially simultaneously from cylinders 36, 40, 45, and 53 to allow the associated pistons to return to the nonloading position. Immediately thereafter, air pressure is introduced to the piston which pulls the picker knife forward. When the picker knife reaches its forwardmost position, pressure is introduced to cylinder 36 to set up the carton, after which cylinders 40 and 53 are activated. While cylinder 45 may be activated simultaneously with cylinders 40 and 53, we have found it best to interpose a slight delay between the activation of cylinder 40 and that of cylinder 45. If the carton is not properly set up by the carton cooker and remains in a somewhat-flattened position as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the lifting finger 15 must rotate upwardly through notch 12q to lift the carton top 12s sufiiciently to permit'the hold-down fingers to rotate into contact with the carton bottom 12 After the carton is opened by the operation of cylinders 40, 53 and 45, cylinders 58 and 61 are activated momentarily to fold the trailing dust flaps into the carton.

Rather than providing the cylinders 40, 45, 53, 58 and 61 with spring-urged pistons which return to their original position when air pressure is withdrawn, these cylinders may be of the double acting type which both extend and retract the piston by air pressure. In either event an air pressure source of about p.s.i. is suitable, although greater or lower pressures may be used.

Our inventive packaging apparatus is also readily adjustable to accommodate different carton sizes. For example, the apparatus can load a wider package, i.e., a packaging having a greater dimension in the direction of carton travel, by moving the tracks 35 of the stop assembly 13 forwardly. The racks are carried by hooks 72 extending from slotted plates 73 which are slidably secured to the rails 25b and 250 and by bolts 74 (FIGURE 1). If a thicker carton is to be loaded, the doctor blade 29 can be moved upwardly on the forward rail 24 of the hopper assembly. We have found that our apparatus may be readjusted in about five minutes as compared to about /2 hour for prior art devices.

It is believed apparent that a pair of such machines, constructed as the mirror images of each other, may be arranged in side-by-side fashion so that a single operator positioned between the machines may alternately load both of them. Since loading only occurs when the cartons are stopped, the rate of loading depends on the skill and experience of the operator, a proficient operator being able to load two machines at an extremely high rate of speed without dangers of error or malfunction which might otherwise arise if the cartons were loaded while moving.

While in the foregoing specification, a detailed description of a specific embodiment of our invention was set forth for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that many of the details herein given may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A packaging apparatus comprising a frame, an elongated carton support thereon defining a carton path, means for delivering cartons individually to said carton support, stop means along said path for temporarily halting movement of each carton, a lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent one side of said path for rotation in a generally transverse plane spaced behind said stop means a substantial portion of the width of a carton, said finger being extendable upon rotation a substantial distance into said path to engage the underside of the top of a carton restrained by said 'stop means and to bow the top of said carton upwardly, and means on said frame adapted to hold the bottom of said carton lagainst upward movement as said carton top is bowed upwardly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including piston means on said frame, said lifting finger being secured to a rod journaled in said frame, and crank means connecting said piston means and said rod, whereby linear movement of said piston means provides rotational movement of said rod and said lifting finger.

3. The apparatus ofclaim 1 in which said bottom holding means includes a hold-down finger mounted on said frame adjacent said one path side and rotatable in a direction opposite to the direction of lifting finger rotation. to engage the bottom of said carton.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 including piston means on said frame, said hold-down finger being secured to a rod journaled in said frame, and crank means connecting said piston means and said rod, whereby linear movement. of said piston means provides rotational movement of said rod and said hold-down. finger.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a dust flap closer assembly on said frame on each side of said path, each of said assemblies including a rack and pinion gear and dust flap closing finger rotatably mounted on said frame and attached to said pinion gear.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each of said cartons includes a generally rectangular top and bottom panels and a pair of side panels joining said top and bottom panels along two sides thereof, the other sides of said top and bottom panels being provided with lines of weakness to define end flaps, one of the bottom end flaps being provided with a generally rectangular notch.

7. A packaging apparatus comprising a frame, an elongated carton-supporting track on said frame defining a carton path, means for delivering cartons individually to said track, stop means on said frame in said path for temporarily halting movement of each carton, a lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent one side of said path, first air piston means on said frame, said first air piston means being operatively connected to said lifting finger to rotate said lifting finger generally transversely into said path to lift the top of a carton, a hold-down finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said one path side, second air piston means on said frame operatively connected to said holddown finger to rotate said hold-down finger into said path in a direction opposite to the direction of lifting finger rotation to engage the bottom of the carton, and product stop means slidably mounted on said frame adjacent the other path side, said product stop means being slidable transversely into said path when said cartons are temporarily halted.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said stop means includes a longitudinally slidable rack on said frame below said path, carton cocking means rotatably mounted on the frame, said carton cocking means being provided with a pinion gear engaging said rack, and air piston means operatively connected with said rack, whereby said carton cocking means is rotatable upwardly into said path.

9. The apparatus of claim 9 including a dust flap closer assembly on said frame on each side of said path, each of said assemblies including a rack and pinion gear. air piston means operatively connected to said rack, and

a dust fiap closing finger rotatably mounted on said frame and attached to said pinion gear.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 including a first rod journaled in said frame, said lifting finger being secured to said first rod, first crank means connecting said first air piston means and said first rod, a second rod journaled in said frame, said hold down finger being secured to said second rod, and second crank means connecting said second air piston means on said second rod, whereby linear movement of said first and second air piston means provides rotational movement of said lifting finger and said hold down finger.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 including a second lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame above said produqg stop means, said second lifting finger contacting said product stop means and being rotatable upwardly by transverse sliding movement of said product stop means into said path.

12. A packaging apparatus comprising a frame, an elongated carton support thereon defining a carton path, means for delivering cartons individually to said carton support, stop means along said path for temporarily halting movement of each carton, a lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent one side of said path, said finger being rotatable generally transversely into said path and adapted to lift the top of said carton, means on said frame adapted to hold the bottom of said carton, a second lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the other side of said path, and product stop means on said frame below said second lifting finger, said product stop means being slidable transversely into said path to rotate said second lifting finger when a carton is temporarily halted.

13. A packaging apparatus comprising a frame, an elongated carton support thereon defining a carton path, means for delivering cartons individually to said carton support, stop means along said path for temporarily halting movement of each carton, a lifting finger rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent one side of said path, said finger being rotatable generally transversely into said path and adapted to lift the top of said carton, and'means on said frame adapted to hold the bottom of said carton, said stop means including a longitudinally slidable rack on said frame below said path and carton cocking means rotatably mounted on said frame, said carton cocking means being provided with a pinion gear engaging said rack, whereby said carton cocking means is rotatable upwardly into said path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,173 4/1934 Guyer 53--262 X 3,097,463 7/1963 Neal et al. 53-186 3,138,076 6/1964 Lobdell 53-l86 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 53 1R1 

